27/11/2012

Environment and products news : Quiksilver turns old skateboards into socially responsible sunglasses

Javier Mendizabal, a professional Quiksilver Team skateboarder, is the man behind the hook-up with Vuerich B, a young street-smart and eco-friendly sunglass brand from the European Skateboard Mecca Barcelona. From the first time I met Baptiste in Barcelona, to the development of sunglasses made of skateboards used, until the presentation of the collaboration to Quiksilver and the launch of the project with Skateistan in Cambodia… everything is connected naturally … this is because the product speaks for itself… design, recycling and passion” Javier explains.

The collaboration resulted in the creation of a limited series of 50 pairs of Quiksilver sunglasses called "The Griffin", redesigned by Vuerich B, creator of sunglass frames, handmade from broken skateboards.

Craftsmen at work
Vuerich B's craftsmen are woodworking masters, but making a pair of glasses is still a real technical feat that requires hours of painstaking work.
But the robust, yet flexible maple wood of a skateboard is a pleasant material to work with, and particularly well suited to making sunglasses.
The graphic designs on the boards are also a great way to use the colours to design completely exclusive models. The layer of resin on the skateboards also gives a natural tint and offers an infinite number of colour schemes.
Carl Zeiss the high-quality lens manufacturer has also joined the adventure, supplying CR39 polarized lenses, synonymous with purity, stability and comfort.
The 50 models in this exclusive, limited edition will each be numbered by hand and delivered with a polaroid photo of the original board from which they were made, along with some info on the Owner/skateboarder.
It takes no less than five and a half hours of work to produce a pair of these unique sunglasses.
Retail price: €295 - The Griffin, unisex model


A responsible project
In addition to the eco-friendly qualities of the sunglasses, made from recycled skateboards, Quiksilver and its ambassador Javier Mendizabal were keen for the Vuerich B project to be a socially responsible one.

Javier's two passions of skateboarding and photography have taken him around the world, visiting a lot of different countries. On his travels, he noticed that skateboarding was very popular with kids, but many weren't able to get into the sport.
When Quiksilver invited him to support the NGO Skateistan by bringing it on board with the Vuerich B project, Javier was immediately won over by the idea.

The Skateistan project is the result of skater Oliver Percovich's trip to Afghanistan. While skating in the streets of Kabul, Oliver was surrounded by the eager faces of Afghan children who wanted to be shown how to skate. He quickly set himself the goal of developing and passing on his passion for skating, in the country under reconstruction. After handing out some boards collected in the west, he decided to take things to the next level, by building the country's first skate parks and skate schools in 2009.
Today, Skateistan is continuing its work in Cambodia. With Javier's involvement, all the players in the Vuerich B project are supporting the development of this new initiative. As in Afghanistan, the aim is to develop skating infrastructures to offer young people the chance to discover a new passion, one that will let them grow as people and gain a sense of achievement.

Developing skating in countries without access to the sport, means giving young people the opportunity to express themselves and commit to projects. Skateboarding is a valuable educational tool for passing on values of respect, creativity and humanity that will enable these young people to gain self-assurance and independence.

For each pair of sunglasses purchased, Quiksilver will donate a part of the benefits to Skateistan, to support educational skateboard-based programmes in Cambodia.
In early December, Javier and the Quiksilver by Vuerich B project team plan to travel to Phnom Penh, to meet the Skateistan team and their students. An opportunity for Javier to take his first steps as the new ambassador for the Quiksilver Initiative, he will perform a skateboard demonstration and give lessons to the Cambodian children.
This new human adventure will culminate in a special competition on December 8th, which will see the participants rewarded with prizes (skateboards and accessories) offered by the Quiksilver team.

( Source Quiksilver.eu )

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